Plumbers&#39; tool

ABSTRACT

THE APPLICATION DISCLOSES A BASIC CONTAINER FOR A PLUMBERS&#39;&#39; FLEXIBLE SNAKE HAVING A CHUCK THROUGH WHICH THE SNAKE PASSES IN AND OUT, AN ADAPTER SHELL MEANS SUITABLE FOR MOUNTING ON A MOTOR OR ON A CRANK WHICH RELEASABLY ATTACHES TO THE REAR OF THE CONTAINER TO AFFORD A MEANS FOR ROTATING THE CONTAINER, AND A CONTAINER ADAPTABLE FOR MOUNTING VARIOUS FORMS OF CHUCKS.

0a. 5, 1971 M. F. MIERI 3, ,7

PLUMBERS' TOOL Filed Aug. 11, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet l BY WM, /QA/M/ Oct.5, 1971 M. F. MIER 3,609,738

PLUMBERS' TOOL Filed Aug. 11, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVIZNTOR. Manx F. ME2 BY M WM United States Patent Q 3,609,788 PLUMBERS TOOL Mark F. Mier,Sylmar, Calif., assignor to Lawrence F. Irwin/Sally J. Irwin, Trust,doing business as Marco Products Company, San Fernando, Calif.

Filed Aug. 11, 1969, Ser. No. 856,242 Int. Cl. B081) 9/02 US. Cl.15-1043 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The application discloses abasic container for a plumbers flexible snake having a chuck throughwhich the snake passes in and out, an adapter shell means suitable formounting on a motor or on a crank which releasably attaches to the rearof the container to afford a means for rotating the container, and acontainer adaptable for mounting various forms of chucks.

The invention relates generally to plumbers tools used in freeingstoppages in waste pipes and particularly to such hand-held tools asemploy a flexible elongated member known as a plumbers snake which isnormally stored in the container portion of the tool to be fed therefromas needed into the pipe and rotated either by hand or by means of amotor to reach and auger through any obstruction. The rotation of thesnake is effected by rotating the container in which the snake isstored.

One of the most commonly used forms of snake consists of a helicallycoiled wire. Such snakes are manufactured in several diameters, twocommon sizes being and in diameter, as these two sizes enable theplumber to cope with stoppages in the various-sized waste pipes usuallyencountered where hand-held tools are used. While the container of amotorized tool will normally accommodate a spring of either size, manyplumbers prefer to purchase two fully motorized units, one containerloaded with the smaller spring and one with the larger spring, ratherthan be faced with the time-consuming and necessarily messy job ofchanging snakes for different-sized pipes as would be necessary if hehad only one unit with two snakes. Consequently, the plumber must make arelatively large initial investment.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel constructionfor a tool of the type under consideration which enables the plumber toquickly attach or detach the motor, or a hand crank, to any one of twoor more containers which may house snakes of different diameters,thereby making it unnecessary for the plumber to have two completelymotorized units and thus enabling the manufacturer and merchandiser tosupply the plumber with his requirements at a substantial monetarysaving without impairing his efficiency.

More particularly it is an object to provide a novel adapter andcontainer, the adapter being mountable upon the motor or a hand crankand being detachably mountable on the container, which enables theplumber quickly to detachably connect the motor to any one of two ormore containers or to attach a hand crank thereto. It is also an objectto provide such an adapter that can be detachably mounted on a motor ora hand crank, thereby enabling the use of a single adapter, if desired.

A further object is to provide a container for a flexible snake which isso constructed that a variety of types of chucks can be mounted thereoninterchangeably, thereby giving the purchaser a choice of chucks at thetime of purchase as well as the option of changing to another style ofchuck at a later date.

Another object is to provide means for making it convenient to inspectand perform maintenance of the Fee coiled spring and interior of thecontainer without removal of the coiled spring, by providing adetachable adapter that, when removed, provides open access to theinterior of the container.

In summary, the invention provides a novel detachable mounting for amotor or hand crank designed to serve for detachably securing either toa storage container for a flexible snake, and a container adapted toreceive the mounting and designed to be equipped with various styles ofchucks through which the snake is fed.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings and thefollowing description. Referring to the draw ings:

FIG. 1 is a view showing several basic tool units in elevation equippedwith the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a motorized toolembodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the adapter shell;

-FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view of the end of the motorshaft and of the hub portion of the adapter shell;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the outer side of the adapter shell;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in the plane of FIG. 5 showing theinterlocking means of the shell and adapter, but on a larger scale;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 7, but with the parts in adifferent position;

FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 are sectional views on lines 99, 1010* and 11-11 ofFIG. 7; and

FIG. 12 is an elevational view of a combined adapter and hand crank.

More particularly describing the invention, it is a feature thereof thata construction is provided which enables a plumber to have theadvantages of two fully motorized tools without incurring the full costthereof. By way of example, in FIG. 1, a single motor unit 11 is showntogether with adapter means 12 whereby the motor can be quicklydetachably connected to a selected one of two or more plumbers snakecontainers 13, of which two are illustrated, designed to house flexiblesnakes 14 of different diameters. Also shown in FIG. 1 is a hand crank15, shown detachably fitted with adapter means 12 whereby it can beattached to any selected container 13 for use where electric power isnot available.

It is contemplated that the containers 13 are adaptable to have mountedthereon different styles of chucks and thus, in FIG. 1, the uppercontainer 13 is shown provided with a chuck 16A of one type and thelower container 13 is shown provided with another type of chuckdesignated 163.

The housing or container 13 comprises a case 20* in which the snake 14is coiled for storage. The case is generally circular in cross sectionat any plane as shown and, referring to FIGS. 21 1, tapers from a largediameter at the rear to a reduced diameter axial neck 21 in which thechuck 16A is mounted and through which the snake extends and moves intoand out of the container. A short metal tubular extension 22 is fixed ina counterbore 21' in the neck, and the chuck 16A is mounted in this, butit will be apparent that the chuck 16B, or another type of chuck, mightbe mounted therein. The rear wall of the container extends radiallyinward for a limited distance having a narrow annular section 23, anaxially inwardly extending section 24, and an inwardly projecting flange25 defining a relatively large opening 26.

As previously indicated, either a motor or a hand crank is adapted to beattached to the container by an adapter 12. The latter comprises agenerally circular shell 28 of concave-convex shape with a centralforwardly projecting hub 29. The hub is provided with a bore 30 toaccommodate the threaded end portion 31 of the shaft 32 of motor 11, asshown in FIG. 4, or to accommodate a similar end portion on a hand crank15. Thus the adapter shell can be mounted on either the motor 11 or thehand crank 15, but, as a practical matter, it may be desirable toprovide an adapter on each of these elements as shown for theconvenience of the plumber.

The adapter shell is provided with a plurality of radial lugs 3-3 spacedcircumferentially around a peripheral flange 34 which are receivable incircumferentially spaced slots 35 provided in the portion 24 of the wallof the container. These slots all extend in the same directioncircumferentially with respect to a cutaway or open portion 36 whichprovides access of the lugs to the slots when the adapter shell isinserted axially into the container. Once in position it is turnedclockwise relative to the shell, as the parts are viewed in FIGS. 7 and8, to secure the two together. A latch is provided on the shellcomprising a flat spring 38 mounted on the shell at its inner end at 39and shaped to follow the general contour of the shell except at its freeend portion 38 where it is stepped to fit the wall of the container anda locking recess 40 therein. This serves to lock the parts in assembledposition, making it necessary to operate this latch by pulling the freeend portion out of recess 40 in order to release the parts.

The tool when equipped with the motor or the hand crank operates in thecustomary way, that is, the rotation of the motor and its shaft servesto turn the container and hence the snake contained therein, the adaptershell 12 serving to transmit rotary motion of the motor shaft or shaftof the hand crank to the container. It will be apparent that theconstruction enables the achievement of the various objects pointed outabove because of the ease with which the motor or hand crank can bedetached from one container and attached to another.

It may be desirable to provide a combined adapter and hand crank, suchas shown in FIG. 12 and designated 45. This comprises an adapter shell46 which is generally similar to shell 28 except that it has no hubportion. The shell has a rearwardly facing, bored and internallythreaded handle mounting boss 47. A pin 48 is mounted in this andsupports a handle 49.

I claim:

1. In a plumbers tool, a hollow container adapted to store a flexibleplumbers snake coiled therein and having an axially disposed neck at thefront through which the snake extends and is movable, said containerhaving an annular rear wall defining an opening, a motor having a shaft,an adapter shell mounted on the shaft of said motor, interengaging meanson said shell and on said annular rear wall of said container fordetachably securing said shell to said container.

2. The tool set forth in claim 1 in which said adapter shell isdetachably mounted on the shaft of the motor.

3. The plumbers tool set forth in claim 1 in which the interengagingmeans on said shell and said annular rear wall of the containercomprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs on said shell anda plurality of circumferentially spaced and circumferentially extending'4 slots in the annular rear wall of the container receiving said lugs.

4. The tool set forth in claim 1 in which said shell extends forwardly asubstantial distance into said coutainer.

5. The tool set forth in claim 1 in which said container is providedwith a chuck on the neck thereof through which the snake extends.

6. In a plumbers tool:

(a) a hollow container adapted to store a flexible plumbers snake coiledtherein having an axially disposed neck at the front through which thesnake extends and is movable and being formed at the rear with anannular wall means extending radially inward and defining a relativelylarge opening whereby the container is open at the rear;

(b) an adapter shell detachably mounted on said annular wall means ofsaid container in position to close the opening therein; and

(c) means for rotating said shell, said means including a shaft, saidshell being mounted on said shaft.

7. The tool set forth in claim 6 in which said adapter shell extendsforward a substantial distance through said opening into said container.

8. In a plumbers tool:

(a) a first means for housing a coiled flexible plumber s snake;

(b) a second means in removable engagement with said first means forrotating said first means;

(c) means on one of said first or second means comprising a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced slots and means on the other of said first orsecond means comprising a plurality of circumferential lugs soconstructed and arranged as to be receivable in said spaced slots; and

(d) means for rotating said second means.

9. In a plumbers tool:

(a) a first means for housing a coiled flexible plumbers snake; and

(b) a second means removably engaged to said first means for rotatingsaid first means comprising:

(1) an adapter means for transmitting rotational movement to said firstmeans;

(2) a locking means on said adapter means for cooperative engagementwith said first means for locking said first and second means inassembled position; and

(3) a hand-held motor means removably engaged to said adapter means forrotating said adapter means relative to said motor means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,167,268 7/ 1939 Sanger15104.3(SN) 2,237,880 4/1941 Horst et a1. 15104.3 (SN) 2,284,939 6/1942.Asnard 15- 104.3 (SN) 2,318,172 5/1943 Long 15104.3(SN) 2,470,225 5/1949Silverman 15104.3(SN) EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner

